Nexus - 0905 - New Times Magazine-pages

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Passing of King Charles II, 1685 He was also well known for his castigation of almost all non- But first, by way of introduction to the subject of "death by doc- orthodox treatments, and for his willingness to submit to all that toring", we travel back a few hundred years to the bedside of King the medical orthodoxy had to offer—a service that even he, a Charles II, where 14 of the highest-qualified physicians in the conventional advocate, had variously described as "pay-as-you- land are earnestly "reviving" the king from a stroke. bleed" and "surgical muggings". "The king was bled to the extent of a pint from a vein in his For me, the most memorable images of John were captured in right arm. Next, his shoulder was cut into and the incised area the BBC's Inside Story—a television programme that followed was sucked of an additional 8 oz of blood. An emetic and a John during a year of treatment, showing him clearly suffering. purgative were administered, followed by a second purgative, fol- An operation on John's throat caused him to lose his voice, which lowed by an enema containing antimone, sacred bitters, rock salt, as a popular broadcaster was a serious blow. Later, through mallow leaves, violets, beetroot, camomile flowers, fennel seeds, surgery and radiation treatment, he would lose most of his tongue linseed, cinnamon, cardamom seed, saffron, cochineal and aloes. and, with it, all sense of taste and the ability to eat properly—a The king's scalp was shaved and a blister raised. A sneezing pow- double whammy, given that he was married to TV supercook der of hellebore was administered. A plaster of burgundy pitch Nigella Lawson. and pigeon dung was applied to the feet. Medicaments included In his extraordinary book, 'C’: Because Cowards Get Cancer melon seeds, manna, slippery elm, black cherry water, lime flow- Too (which I could not put down), he wrote: ers, lily of the valley, peony, lavender and dissolved pearls. As he "He who didn't realise what a boon an unimpaired voice was, grew worse, forty drops of extract of human skull were adminis- who ate his food without stopping to think about its remarkable tered, followed by a rallying dose of flavour, who was criminally profligate with Raleigh's antidote. Finally, bezoar stone words, who took his wife and children and was given. friends for granted—in short, he who didn't "Curiously, his Majesty's strength seemed now he was living..."* to wane after all these interventions and, as John died in March 2001, aged 47, after the end of his life seemed imminent, his " . having suffered dreadfully for four years. In doctors tried a last-ditch attempt by forcing After analysing cancer is death, he joined sports presenter Helen more Raleigh's mixture, pearl julep and A AA Rollason, Bill "Compo" Owen, Ian Dury, ammonia down the dying king's throat. survival Statistics for Roy Castle, Cardinal Basil Hume, Linda Further treatment was rendered more diffi- several decades, McCartney and, most recently, ex-Beatle cult by the king's death."* . George Harrison, plus 152,500 others in the We can be sure that the physicians Dr Hardin Jones, a UK who succumb annually to the cancer gathered around the king's bed were all professor at the ordeal. leaders in their particular field—royalty and . . . . Kate Law of the Cancer Research presidents do not settle for anything University of California, Campaign said that John's story helped less. But, as Proust observed, with concluded: to bring cancer out of the closet in hindsight we can now see the hideous ', . Britain. error of their therapeutics. Today, the ..patients are as well, John's writings certainly brought or better off, untreated." skull drops, the ammonia and the home the ugliness of conventional treat- pigeon dung have long gone, but what ment. will we say in a few years' time when But the more informed in the cancer we look back on the "highly respected" debate who have read John's columns cancer therapeutics of 2002? Will we and book will have recognised that dare to venture that there is nothing John's writings, brilliant though they new under the Sun? Have we really were, did not bring out the full story of progressed much further? cancer at all. Death of John Diamond, 2001 "He's been poisoned, blasted, had Side Effects of Chemotherapy Consider the following statement bits lopped off him, been in remission, felt lumps grow again, from cancer specialist Professor Charles Mathe, who declared: been given shreds of hope, had hope removed." (Nicci Gerrard, "If I contracted cancer, I would never go to a standard cancer Sunday Observer, May 14, 2001) treatment centre. Cancer victims who live far from such centres Many thousands of people were touched by John Diamond's have a chance." regular column in the London Times newspaper, giving stark and Walter Last, writing in The Ecologist, reported recently: brutal insight into living with throat cancer. In a witty and very "After analysing cancer survival statistics for several decades, down-to-earth manner, John explored numerous life-with-cancer Dr Hardin Jones, a professor at the University of California, con- issues, including the ups and considerably more downs in body cluded: '...patients are as well, or better off, untreated. Jones's and mind during radiation treatment, the effects of his illness disturbing assessment has never been refuted.'"’ upon the wider family and the rediscovery of everyday wonders Or what about this? previously taken for granted. He showed his distaste for numer- "Many medical oncologists recommend chemotherapy for vir- ous cancer clichés such as "brave John" and "staying positive", tually any tumour, with a hopefulness undiscouraged by almost replying: "I am not brave. I did not choose cancer. I am just me, invariable failure." (Albert Braverman, MD, "Medical Oncology dealing with it" and "Whenever somebody told me how good a in the 90s", Lancet 1991, vol. 337, p. 901) positive attitude would be for me, what they really meant was Or this? how much easier a positive attitude would make it for them." "Most cancer patients in this country die of chemotherapy. "After analysing cancer survival statistics for concluded: or better off, untreated." 24 = NEXUS several decades, ",..patients are as well, www.nexusmagazi ne.com AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2002